After retiring from the CFL six months ago, Marc-Antoine Dequoy has returned to competitive football. The 31-year-old safety is currently in Duesseldorf, Germany, with the Canadian men’s team for the IFAF world flag football championship. Dequoy decided to retire from the CFL in February due to physical reasons after playing five seasons with the Montreal Alouettes.

Explaining his decision, Dequoy stated, “I realized my body wouldn’t withstand the demands of a full CFL season. I wanted to stay true to the sport, and any doubts could increase the risks significantly. It was a tough decision, but I knew it was time to step back.”

Although initially hesitant, Dequoy eventually embraced flag football after Coach LaPolice approached him. He took time to consider the offer, did some research, and decided to give it a shot. However, his involvement in hosting a television show from March to May temporarily took him away from the game.

Feeling a void and missing the competitive aspect, Dequoy reached out to Coach LaPolice expressing his interest in returning to football. Despite his successful CFL career, flag football posed new challenges with its different rules and gameplay on a smaller field.

Canada’s participation in the world championship faced a setback when Nigeria withdrew from the competition due to visa issues, resulting in schedule adjustments. Dequoy and his team aimed to secure a top-two finish in Germany to qualify for the Olympics, with the top-three teams advancing if the U.S. reaches the gold-medal game.

Dequoy expressed his excitement about the opportunity to potentially qualify for the Olympics through flag football, a dream he never thought possible in his football career. The world championship serves as a crucial step towards achieving this milestone, with the ultimate goal of representing Canada in the upcoming Olympics.